Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 30, 2026

John V. Roach

John V. Roach was an American executive. He was one of the early proponents of the personal computer, launching the Tandy TRS-80.

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Jun 30, 2026
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John V. Roach
Born(1938-11-22)November 22, 1938
DiedMarch 20, 2022(2022-03-20) (aged 83)
Alma materTexas Christian University
OccupationExecutive
Employer(s)Tandy Corporation
RadioShack
Known forPersonal computer

John V. Roach (November 22, 1938 – March 20, 2022) was an American executive. He was one of the early proponents of the personal computer, launching the Tandy TRS-80.123

Early life and education

John Vinson Roach II was born on November 22, 1938, in Stamford, Texas, and moved to Fort Worth at the age of four.4 His mother, Agnes Margaret Roach nee Handon, was a nurse and his father owned a grocery store in Fort Worth.1

Roach graduated from Amon Carter Riverside High School in 1957 and then studied physics and mathematics at Texas Christian University and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1961.5 After working for two years at the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, he returned to the university and earned a master’s in business administration in 1965. He also started experimenting with mainframes in college.1

Career

In 1967, he joined the Tandy Corporation, a conglomerate that owned Radioshack, as a data processing manager.6 In the following years, he played a key role in the company’s decision to venture into the budding personal computer market.7

In January 1977, he presented the original TRS-80 prototype to Tandy’s CEO Charles Tandy and Radioshack’s president Lewis Kornfeld. At just under $600,8 the TRS-80 quickly became the best-selling personal computer on the market.9 To write the software code for the TRS-80, Tandy hired eventual Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

Roach became RadioShack’s executive vice president in 1978.10 Tandy's computer success helped Roach become CEO in 1981.11 In 1983 he was named chief executive and chairman of Tandy, two positions he held until 1999.1 After leaving Tandy, Roach briefly served as CEO of Justin Industries before retiring.12

In the 1990s, Roach also served as chairman of Texas Christian University’s board of trustees.5 In this role, he helped to double the university’s endowment to more than $1 billion and built a technology center. In 2007, the John V. Roach Honors College was endowed in his honor at Texas Christian University.1

Personal life

Roach died on March 20, 2022 at age 83.113147

References

References

  1. Roberts, Sam (March 23, 2022). "John Roach, Pioneer of the Personal Computer, Is Dead at 83". The New York Times.
  2. Hagerty, James R. (March 25, 2022). "Texas 'Country Boy' Helped Launch Personal-Computer Era". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
  3. Stevenson, Stefan (March 21, 2022). "'Mr. Fort Worth' John V. Roach was beloved in the community he loved". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  4. "John V. Roach Biography". Texas Christian University Honors College. 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  5. Hagerty, James R. (2022-03-25). "Texas 'Country Boy' Helped Launch Personal-Computer Era". WSJ. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  6. Richter, Marice (2022-03-21). "Legendary business and civic leader John Roach has died". Fort Worth Business Press. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  7. Roberts, Sam (2022-03-23). "John Roach, a pioneer of the personal computer, is dead at 83". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  8. Sharwood, Simon (2022-03-24). "RIP: Creators of the GIF and TRS-80". The Register. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  9. "Former Tandy CEO and PC innovator John Roach dead at 83". Engadget. 2022-03-24. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  10. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. (14 February 1979). InfoWorld. InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. pp. 4–.
  11. Hayes, Thomas C. (1992-10-27). "Tandy Ventures Into the Unknown". The New York Times. pp. D1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  12. Bob Francis (March 20, 2022). "Column: Saying goodbye to John V. Roach, Fort Worth leader in business, civic affairs and education". Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  13. "TCU Board Chairman, Former Tandy CEO John V Roach Dies At 83 - CBS Texas". www.cbsnews.com. 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  14. Stevenson, Stefan (21 March 2022). "John V. Roach, former Tandy CEO, TCU board chair and early PC pioneer, dead at 83". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 1 December 2025.